Page 63 of The Hero Within
"Arik?" Eden asked.
"He's the one you need to convince to let you go," Nnedi said.
But she didn't sound hopeful.
Eden foundherself back in the main cavern, though now it had come alive. Packed with people, torches ringed the walls, and everyone seemed in a celebratory mood. Laughter echoed ahead of them loudly as Nnedi wove her way through the crowd. It parted around the tall warrior, and Eden scurried along in her wake, looking for Colton.
There was a natural stone dais at one end of the room, and that was where Nnedi led her. A pair of enormous men embraced on top of it, and Eden recognized Lincoln, whom Colton had put a knife to the throat of. She didn't know the other man, but when he drew back, clapping a hand on Lincoln's shoulder, she blinked.
Had to be Arik.
He towered over the others, his long chestnut-colored hair in a knot on top of his head, and a thick beard trimmed neatly across his jawline. A large tooth hung on a leather thong around his neck, and she was pretty sure it was from a shadow cat. The guy was ripped, with the kind of heavy, bulky muscle that had to come from hard manual labor.
His chest was also bare and oiled, with a gold handprint pressed over his left breast—a tattoo, she suspected, as it looked like someone had crushed pure gold and inked it into his skin. The only thing he wore was jeans; even his feet were bare.
Someone gave her a nudge from behind. Colton materialized out of the crowd, his body heat warm as he brushed against her.
"You want to be alone with him?" He tipped his head toward the man on the dais.
"No.Doesn't mean I'm not aware the guy is hot. I'm not blind and contrary to popular opinion, I'm not a prude."
His eyes grew sleepy-lidded, the dark of his pupils burning. He turned back to the front, his lips pressed tightly together.
What was that?She nudged him back, but Colton ignored her, and all she could think about was the heat of his eyes when he'd turned around and seen her in just her tank and panties.
A little shiver ran through her at the memory.Oh, shit. She was in trouble, she knew it. Keeping her hormones under control had been easier before she and Colton signed a truce.
Now?
It was becoming ridiculously easy to be around him. They'd somehow started leaning on each other, making plans, joking....
Even as that tension between them threatened to boil over every damned time he looked at her with those smoldering eyes.
Hate sex.
The problem was, she was pretty sure that wasn't the right way to describe the way she felt about him.
Eden didn't quite glance his way, though she couldn't help being aware of the heat that existed in the air between them. She could remember that long-ago day he'd kissed her. The hunger. The fierce need.
The betrayal.
Ouch.
Getting involved with Colton again was the last thing she should be thinking of, but a part of her couldn't resist being aware of him.
A part of her heard the words "hate sex" and thought that was an excellent idea. Which was madness. Or was it?
Be honest. A) Johnny Colton's an extremely fine example of a man. B) There's unfinished business between you. You've always known that. C) He might not be as guilty of hurting you, as you've always believed.
D) How can you ever move on, if you don't confront everything that lingers between you?
Easy to think.... She wasn't the one who refused to discuss the past.
"Arik," Nnedi called, leaping up onto the dais and striding toward the enormous newcomer.
Dark eyes flickered toward them, and the man turned, capturing Nnedi's hand and drawing her against him, his forehead bowing to rest against hers. He had to lean down to do so.
"They're together," Colton muttered. "I'd keep my eyes off him, if I were you. Nnedi would bury you alive, and then I'd have to step in—"
